RELEASE DAY REVIEW: 'Sound of Us' by A.M. Arthur
Title: Sound of Us
Series: Us #2
Author: A.M. Arthur
Published: April 21, 2017
Publisher: Self-Published/Briggs-King Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance; Erotic Romance
Length: 384 Pages
Tags: Gay; M/M; Menage; Comfort/Hurt; Disorder: Bipolar; May/December
About Sound of Us
Jake Bowden didn’t expect to be settling into a strong, loving relationship with another guy at only twenty-three years old—never mind with two. His chemistry with Cris is as strong as ever, while things with Charles are more like a simmer than a heavy boil. Charles says he’s perfectly content to go at Jake’s pace, but Jake isn’t sure slow is what he wants anymore. And when Jake wants something, he isn’t shy about going after it.
Cris Sable is head-over-heels in love with the two men in his life, and he’s vowed to do everything he can to protect the fragile, three-way relationship they’re cultivating—even if it means lying about his past. A dark past that resurfaces in an unexpected way and forces Cris to make the difficult choice between shielding Jake and Charles from it, or trusting them enough to help him face it head-on.
Charles Greenwood had forgotten what it felt like to be loved, until a feisty go-go boy and an ex-porn star fell into his bed, and then stole his heart away. He loves both men equally, but differently, slowly stoking the fire of the chemistry he shares with Jake, while passionately pursuing Cris—both in and out of bed. Their lives are entwining in the very best way…until Cris starts to pull away, distancing himself from the loving support of their triad. And after Cris disappears one night on a drunken bender, Charles vows to do whatever it takes to prove to Cris that he can trust them with anything—mind, body and spirit.
Three separate hearts will finally beat as one.
4 HEART READ
REVIEW: Sound of Us is a mandatory sequel for those who enjoyed A.M. Arthur’s Here for Us. She accurately suggests this second book of the Us series is better if read after the first. Any m/m/m fan who treats themselves to both novels, will be graced with a primer in the nature of love.
When three men from the adult entertainment business fall in love, one might expect raucous bedroom scenes. But the first book, which started with sizzle, slowed to an intimate crawl, giving the men space to develop into complex personalities, confused by their three-dimensional triad.
No worries. Sound of Us more than makes up for the first book’s chasteness, with Arthur’s hottest book ever.
Chet, age 48, owns Mean Green, a movie studio and many other ventures. Cris, a 28-year-old computer programmer, had been one of Chet’s “models” until he quit to enter the relationship with his ex-boss. And Jake, 23, a go-go dancer, once ran from all relationships. He barely expected to date Cris, until he met Chet, and was won over by both men’s unwavering support.
Here for US ended when Jake’s descent into bipolar disorder brought the three men together. Jake now questions what he wants do with his new-found stability. Even as Jake tests his identity, not always to positive conclusions, Cris’ dangerous past threatens to derail them. Chet, still uncomfortable with the age gap, can only remain a steady hand of reason, the hand that administers pleasure and punishment as needed.
Arthur deals unflinchingly with topics other authors dodge, like impotence and loss of libido. Therefore, when the triad vigorously and extensively explores sexuality, readers believe her and it moves the plot forward.
In Sound of Us we know whether lust is being used as avoidance, to close intimacy gaps better than words could express, or simply to rut, mark, and claim. And the threesome adjusts intuitively, allowing the audience to view the complicated dance between emotional and physical attachment.
Most importantly, Arthur realizes that love is based on consideration and on trust, built on encouragement, one thoughtful deed at a time. The deepening of Cris, Chet and Jake’s commitment, brings these men maturity. And we can’t help but fall in love with their love.
A copy of Sound of Us was provided to Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter, by A.M. Arthur, at no cost and with no expectations in return. We offer our fair and honest opinion on behalf of our readers.
Amazon/KU
Meet the Author
A.M. Arthur was born and raised in the same kind of small town that she likes to write about, a stone's throw from both beach resorts and generational farmland. She's been creating stories in her head since she was a child and scribbling them down nearly as long, in a losing battle to make the fictional voices stop. She credits an early fascination with male friendships (bromance hadn't been coined yet back then) with her later discovery of and subsequent love affair with m/m romance stories. A.M. Arthur's work is available from Samhain Publishing, Carina Press, Dreamspinner Press, SMP Swerve, and Briggs-King Books.
When not exorcising the voices in her head, she toils away in a retail job that tests her patience and gives her lots of story fodder. She can also be found in her kitchen, pretending she's an amateur chef and trying to not poison herself or others with her cuisine experiments.
For more from A.M. be sure and visit her webpage.
